For the sake of truthfulness, it seems necessary to counter a few of the suggestions published recently under Mr. Mageau’s name.
In the writer’s attempt to prop up the reputations of female political allies whom he listed, we are left to wonder what they hope to gain by using him as a smokescreen and why are they hiding behind it.
As for the very personal remarks printed against me by our town moderator, Mr. Walsh, please see below. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have had a life­time connection to Charlestown. The comments below come from continuous personal experience over the last eight years of being involved in seeking the right to fair, lawful due process through the Planning Commission, Board of Review, in Superior Court and with certain paid public officials at hearings, suits and counter suits all involving a local developer and her attorney.
There are presently two suits against the town pending in Superior Court by the above. I am again a lawful Intervenor on the town’s behalf. Notices of violation went out from the building official and former planner in the past. No fines were ever levied or collected. Please reference our town ordinances. No devastation of the land has been acknowledged. It is severe. Our Comprehensive Plan does not allow building developments on spoiled land, especially low­income housing, without substantive restoration. This land in question has been rendered practically a waste area. Parts of it were previously, officially designated as some of the most sensitive in the entire town. It lies in the curving arm of one of our most important water sources, on a wellhead protec­tion area, at the end of our same source aquifer where the Pawcatuck River is designated pristine.
On over 25 acres of land, hardly a single tree has been left standing. The deep top soil (thousands of tons) of an organic farm has been hauled off site. Most of the gravel was hauled off too. Hills are leveled. A massive roadbed has been created with no approval. There is more of course, including the huge amplified noise bank created next to the village (designated historic) and surrounding St. Mary’s Church, by the loss of mature trees and flattened terrain. The Planning Commission has been denied access in the land’s present incarnation. It has been scalped leaving the little remaining, sandy covering to become a rapid drainage mechanism into the community water supply. This was especially problematic when the developer dumped the debris from five demolished housing units in a large pile, and left it through a heavy rainy season, for the better part of a year on this site. Trespassers have been attracted to the bombed out look of the place. They drive across adjoining property tearing up road­ways and fields on ATVs to reach their playground.
It is a matter of facts that most citizens of Charlestown have been unwary victims of carefully crafted, continuing assaults on their comprehensive planning. These are quite simply backdoor attempts to gain development approval out of disapproval. Make no mistake, this harm is initiated by people who have no interest in protecting the common good. They aggressively promote intimidation and control, blur facts, deconstruct law, and attempt to take us all on one distracting wild goose chase after another. The goal is power control for financial gain. It comes at our expense. Instead of using our talents and collective resources to proactively and interestingly prepare for the future, we are being seriously provoked by a small wasteful group of self­involved persons. Of course we object to the misuse of time, opportunity and resources. Contrived verbal assaults have been poured on anyone from town, in or out of public office, who is perceived as getting in the way. It should not be a surprise that any healthy person finds this unacceptable.
Secondly, we have officials who abuse the taxpayers by looking in the opposite direction. It is a clear fact of town record who the people in Charlestown government are, or have been, who shelter and collude. This is not supposed to be a fiefdom in spite of what some might hope. We have well established state law, local ordinances, and a ratified Comprehensive Plan to follow.
Obviously when regulations are not fairly upheld by office holders, our trust is violated, and the ensuing pile up of their collective shame rains down on our community. Sadly, there are also those in town government distracted by misplaced loyalties making life-affecting decisions on our behalf with little or no knowledge of our ordinances! They vote personal preferences like a sporting event. If this makes you queasy, it should.
It is our democratic responsibility to promote constructive community involvement, to ask probing questions and correct distortions. Besides, there is no law on the books that dictates the acceptance of bigoted narrow mindedness and bad taste. Nor are we compelled to accept low standards of personal or public behavior. It really is a choice: our choice. We are, after all, speaking of public officials and yes, we do know them! We know them well by their actions.

Patricia Sprague